Dual Effects of Economic Sanctions on the Liberal International Order

In the post-Cold War era, western liberal governments gradually became more inclined to use the economic sanctions against opposing states, considering the experiences they gained from the costly wars of the Cold War period. This process affected the international order in different ways. Despite the various motivations that have been announced about sanctions, most of them have been established in order to protect the liberal international order. The positive effect of sanctions on international security and consequently the stability of the liberal order could not be denied. But at the same time, there have been consequences that indicate the complexity of the effects of sanctions. The question of the article is the effects of the expansion of Western economic sanctions in the post-Cold War era on the liberal international order. The primary answer is that the expansion of economic sanctions has had a dual impact on the liberal international order. They have helped to strengthen the liberal order, but at the same time, they create losses in the long run. This research has carried out with mixed methods research.